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Archived News from March 2013

COX, ADAM CHAPMAN AND GARRY HILL REACTION
8th March 2013 15:50


audio interview with Paul Cox
mansfield103.co.uk/xtra


Mansfield Town manager Paul Cox told BBC Radio Nottingham:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21597985

"The first 20 minutes of the second half was excellent, but we didn't put the game to bed. There were a number of times where we had chances to kill the game by scoring a second goal.

"Subsequently Woking put us under a bit of pressure and got a penalty. But we went for it, we put the big man on [Matt Rhead] and got the goal.

"It's a tough place to get a result, so I am really proud of the boys."


video interview with Garry Hill
http://www.wokingfc.co.uk/tv/v/419/2/

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Ref criticised over Mansfield goal in Woking FC loss
By Chris Dyke, Surrey Advertiser
March 08, 2013

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/sport/football/woking_fc/s/2130491_ref_criticised_over_mansfield_goal_in_woking_fc_loss

GARRY HILL rapped referee Lee Swabey after a contentious decision contributed to Woking FC's 2-1 home defeat to Mansfield Town.

The irritated Cards boss reckoned the official was wrong to over-rule a linesman and award in-form, title-chasing Stags their opening goal 10 minutes before half time at Kingfield on Wednesday night.

It ultimately helped Paul Cox's flyers to secure a 10th win from their last 11 matches and go third in the Blue Square Premier table, hot on the heels of leaders Wrexham.

After the Woking defence had failed to clear an Adam Chapman long throw, the ball broke to Louis Briscoe on the right side of the penalty area.

When he hooked it back towards goal, Matt Green – standing offside and clearly in keeper Seb Brown's eyeline – leapt to meet it.

The Stags' top scorer did not get a touch but Green was clearly interfering as the ball ended up squeezing inside the far post and into the net.

Swabey consulted with his assistant but allowed the goal to stand. Hill snapped: “I can understand their player hadn't touched the ball but you can't be in the six-yard box and have a situation like that when a player jumps in front of the goalkeeper with the intent to try to head it in a different direction. It was a big goal.”

Up to that point – and for much of the time afterwards – the Cards played pretty well against a strong visiting side, who are at the top of their form.

There was a good tempo to the clash with Kevin Betsy and – especially – jet-heeled Bradley Bubb down the right posing questions of a Mansfield defence which included the giant Exodus Geohaghon.

Hill had every reason to retain faith in his players to pull it round after the break.

The second half did not start well though as Chapman, making his debut in midfield after signing on loan from Oxford United earlier in the day, forced Brown to push a 25-yard shot round for a corner, from which centre-back Luke Jones thudded a header against a post.

Green then shot straight at Brown when well placed and the Wimbledon keeper also tipped over acrobatically following a Briscoe strike, even if Swabey awarded a goal kick.

The Cards then enjoyed a pocket of pressure, Jayden Stockley producing an excellent bodyshape to fire narrowly wide across the face of Alan Marriott's goal.

Betsy felt aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty when he appeared to be brought down but the Cards got a break on 68 minutes when Swabey pointed to the spot, ruling that midfielder Colin Daniel had clipped Brett Johnson's heels.

It looked a bit soft but Bubb cashed in by firing the equaliser past the diving Marriott's groping right hand.

But parity lasted only nine minutes, that man Jones lurking again to head in a whipped James Jennings corner from the right, Brown having just saved well again from Chapman.

Hill made three attacking changes – including handing a debut to QPR's Adam Francis, who has joined on loan – but try as they did, Woking could not save it.

The Kingfield boss – still without injured or unavailable players such as Aaron Howe, Adam Doyle, Billy Knott, Brett Williams, Loick Pires and Lee Sawyer – added: “We gave a good account of ourselves. It was a good test against a useful side and we knew it would be tough.

“We're still sitting in the top 10, which isn't bad with 12 games to go. It's brilliant.”

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Mansfield boss Paul Cox demands action after Stags dressing room window is bricked
chad.co.uk

MANSFIELD Town manager Paul Cox demanded action be taken against the mindless Woking fans who put a brick through the away dressing room window and spat at Cox after Stags' 2-1 win.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/mansfield-boss-paul-cox-demands-action-after-stags-dressing-room-window-is-bricked-1-5471962

The brick hit keeper Alan Marriott and cut the back of his head which sparked a rush of players out into the car park where they and Cox confronted those responsible.

“Thankfully Alan was facing the other direction and only suffered a small cut,” said Cox. “But the shards of glass were huge and someone could have been blinded or scarred for life.

“Then they spat in my face and it went straight into my eye, I wouldn't accept that on the street so I am not accepting that just because I am a footballer manager.

“We ran out into the car park and caught up with them and there were a few handbags.

“Whatever comes my way I will have to accept as I don't know what the referee will put in his report. I have probably acted a bit rash and hasty but I will not accept what happened at this level of football.

“We've done all we can. It's up to the home club now. The authorities must do something before a player gets seriously injured the way the game is going right now.

“I know it's only a small minority of idiots but they need to be banned.”

On the game, he added: “I have to be over the moon with this result as not many sides come here and win.

“I was disappointed with the three officials tonight. I thought they were poor.

“Even their bench said for the Woking penalty that their lad had kicked the back of Junior Daniel's calf.

“They lad slid into Alan Marriott after 15 minutes and left him with stud marks up his leg, yet we had four players booked for nothing as bad as that.”

Woking later said the supporter involved in the incident, a season ticket holder, had been detained and reported and would be banned from the club

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Mansfield Town boss says somebody could have been blinded after keeper hit by brick thrown through window
Nottingham Post

MANSFIELD Town boss Paul Cox said somebody could have been blinded after keeper Alan Marriott was hit by a brick following last night's 2-1 victory away at Woking.

Read more: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-18342202-detail/story.html#ixzz2Mr4bY8K9

The brick was thrown through a window when the Stags players returned to their dressing room.

It led to the Mansfield players angrily racing back up the tunnel and out behind the stand to confront those responsibile in Surrey last night.

Cox said: "It could have been serious and incidents like this could see somebody blinded, scarred for life when a brick smashes through a window.

"These people need banning from the game because they are spoiling it for all the good fans out there.

"The brick came through, hit Maz and we looked who it was and a load of spit came through the window and hit me so we went round to see who did it.

"There was confrontation but I am not accepting a brick coming through the window. It is the first time I have known anything like that happened.

"When somebody puts their head through and spits in my face, I am not going to accept that. I would not accept it in the street and I won't accept it here.

"I had a head rush and acted a little bit irrationally but when broken glass comes through and you are spat at, in the eye, and abused, I am not accepting it just because I am a football manager.

"The amount of people who were around the corner to split up the fracas knew what had happened so we will see what action is taken.

"At some point a footballer is going to get seriously injured if we don't stop things like this. It has to be stopped.

"It is about time the authorities got their heads together and sort these mindless few out."

The incident soured a victory which saw the Stags move into third place in the Conference Premier, three points behind leaders Wrexham with a game in hand.

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Brick incident shows players are together at Mansfield Town
Nottingham Post, Mar 8th, 2013

IT IS fair to say Adam Chapman's Mansfield Town debut came on a night of high drama.

But the midfielder believes what he witnessed was a real togetherness within the squad that can lead them all the way back into the Football League.

http://m.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story.html?aid=18354366&category=sport

He has already made 34 appearances for Oxford in League Two this season, but was made available this week, believed to be after a disagreement behind the scenes.

But Mansfield, who had him on trial last January before he had a short loan stint at Newport following his release from prison – after serving over a year of a 30-month sentence for causing the death of a pensioner by dangerous driving – did not miss out this time.

The 23-year-old joined on loan until the end of the season from Oxford on Wednesday morning and started that night in the 2-1 win at Woking which made it ten wins from Stags' last 11 games.

It moved them back to third in the Blue Square Bet Premier and three points behind leaders Wrexham.

But the game was soured by a brick being thrown through the Mansfield dressing window at the end, striking goalkeeper Alan Marriott on the head and showering glass everywhere in the process before manager Paul Cox was spat at in the eyes.

The Stags players reacted furiously, as did Cox, racing back up the tunnel and around the back of the stand to confront those involved.

After everything had calmed down, Chapman said it was a clear sign that there is a real unity in the dressing room.

"The incident was not good and I would rather get punched in the face than spat at. It is disgusting but it showed the togetherness of the boys," said Chapman.

"Some might see it as not such a positive reaction but for me I think it was the right way to show we are together and everybody is prepared to fight for each other.

"You are not going to sit there and take it and everyone is together, that is all you can ask for."

Chapman, who won promotion to the Football League with Oxford, was happy with his debut.

With Anthony Howell set to miss out through injury again tomorrow, he hopes to help the Stags seal another three points at home to Stockport before going into matches against promotion rivals Grimsby, Forest Green and Wrexham.

"It was a well-earned win," said Chapman. "It was not the greatest game and not the way we probably wanted to go about things, but everybody worked really, really hard and we were well deserved of the three points.

"There was a lot of good headers and good tackles flying in and we were unlucky because we had two or three chances we could have converted to make the game a little easier for ourselves, but we did not take them. But three points is the main thing.

"It was an all right debut. Playing alongside somebody like Adam Murray is quite easy. I have played with him before and we knew what we had to do.

"It was about hooking things on, winning tackles and winning the second balls.

"I have played 34 games this season so it is not as though I need fitness or anything. I feel pretty sharp and hopefully I can do well."

Chapman said the fact Mansfield are chasing the title and promotion was a big draw for him, as he looks to put another promotion on his CV.

"Once I found out I was made available by Oxford it was a no-brainer coming here because the form Mansfield have been in means they are flying and looking to win the league," he said. "It fits perfectly for me.

"I have been promoted from this league and a couple of the other boys like Greeny and Muzza have had promotion from this league.

"We know how to do it and it is important we keep going about our business in the way we are, stay positive and stick together to maintain this run.

"If it is a case of starting games then great but if not, I want to make a contribution as a substitute. I am here to help in any way I can to get this club promoted.

"I was made aware of the run of matches coming up against the other top teams before I came here by Muz.

"They are three big matches which will define how we are going to go about this season so it was important we went to Woking and got the win, no matter how we did it.

"It is the same tomorrow against Stockport.

"We will take a not-so-good performance but a win and then roll into those big games confident and in form.

"It is just about making sure you do whatever you can to get a positive result."

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